VP / Director, CMC and Process Development

  • Full Time
    • San Diego, CA, USA Life Sciences

Website Top Notch Finders

Confidential executive search for the life sciences industry

CONFIDENTIAL RETAINED SEARCH | SAN DIEGO LIFE SCIENCES

We are conducting a confidential, retained search for a CMC and process development leader at a San Diego / CaliBaja life sciences company. The VP or Director will lead chemistry, manufacturing, and controls strategy, in partnership with the CSO, CTO, or COO. We seek executives with 12-15+ years of leadership experience in this field.

Search Reference: TNF-LS-CMC-2026 | Technical Operations Leadership Mandate, Life Sciences

ABOUT THIS SEARCH

Top Notch Finders holds an exclusive, strictly confidential retained search for a VP or Director of CMC at a cell or gene therapy, ADC, biologics, or peptide biotech. The company operates from clinical through commercial stage. To protect our client and every candidate, we disclose the company’s identity only to qualified candidates under a confidentiality agreement. In addition, Top Notch Finders receives and manages every inquiry and application directly.

The CMC and Process Development Opportunity

The VP or Director leads chemistry, manufacturing, and controls strategy. This scope includes process development, tech transfer, scale-up, and GMP compliance. As a result, the role sits in what the industry consistently identifies as the tightest leadership specialty in biotech hiring.

Market Context

Hiring for this specialty stays highly competitive. For example, modality-specific expertise in cell therapy, gene therapy, or ADC manufacturing commands a premium. Because of this, we handle every conversation with discretion.

For a deeper look at how we evaluate and hire senior leaders in this industry, read our The 2026 San Diego Life Sciences Executive Search Hiring Guide. It explains our approach to executive search for technical operations and CMC leadership roles.

Key Responsibilities

  • Own end-to-end CMC strategy, from process development through commercial manufacturing.
  • Lead technology transfer between internal labs, CDMOs, and commercial manufacturing sites.
  • Ensure GMP compliance and inspection readiness across all manufacturing operations.
  • Manage analytical development, formulation, and stability programs.
  • Partner with Regulatory Affairs on the CMC sections of IND, BLA, and NDA filings.
  • Oversee supply chain and raw material sourcing strategy. De-risk single-source dependencies.
  • Build and scale the CMC and technical operations organization to support pipeline growth.

Required Qualifications and Experience

  • An advanced degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry, or a related field (PhD preferred at the VP level).
  • 12-15+ years of CMC leadership and process development experience.
  • Modality-specific expertise in cell therapy, gene therapy, or ADC manufacturing, which employers frequently require and which commands a premium.
  • Demonstrated success scaling a process from clinical to commercial manufacturing.
  • Direct experience with GMP inspections and health authority manufacturing audits.
  • Strong CDMO management and technical negotiation skills.

How to Apply in Confidence

This is a discreet, retained engagement. We will never present your candidacy to any organization without your explicit prior authorization. In addition, the hiring company cannot see any application at this stage.

If you are an accomplished CMC and technical operations leader and want to be considered for this CMC and process development role, please submit your resume in confidence through the Top Notch Finders website. Reference search code TNF-LS-CMC-2026 in your submission. However, do not include patient-identifiable, trial-blinded, or other confidential clinical information of any kind in your application materials. We will contact only the candidates whose backgrounds align closely with the mandate.

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